Capítulo 167: 3D Chess
He had now placed Sasuke in a position where he was not just their enemy but had set the stage right for the next arc to commence.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out.
One could hear how much emotion he was filled with. He took a step forward, reaching out as if the mere act could dissolve the gap that had now formed between them.
But Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he threw his head back and looked forward. Then, without a moment's notice, he took off running into the forest.
Tears filled Sakura's eyes. The others could see the sight of their former classmate slipping further away from them. Alice herself felt annoyed that she had let this happen.
"No!" Naruto cried, and in a heartbeat, he took off, sprinting toward the Uchiha.
"Stop!" Alice shouted as she remembered what would happen next.
Yet Naruto was already past them, his focus solely on reclaiming his friend. Arthur gradually watched as the boy dashed past his figure. In that moment, time seemed to slow down. Arthur's gaze lingered on Naruto, knowing what he had caused.
That determined look in Naruto's eyes, the willingness to rescue someone no matter the cost—it was all too familiar. But this boy's hopes were in vain, plagued by the never-ending loop of chasing after someone who didn't want to be liberated in the first place.
After Naruto ran by, Chōji began giving chase.
Suddenly, chains erupted from Arthur's cloak, stretching out to ensnare the Akimichi. The chains caught him mid-stride and yanked him back, causing the boy to stagger to the ground.
"Chōji!" Sakura cried.
Her instincts kicked in as she rushed to assist her friend. But as she reached out to grasp the chains, she found herself unable to break them.
"Only that boy can pass," Arthur finally said. "The rest of you…I won't allow it."
Elsewhere.
Inside a hospital in another country were seated figures.
Neji Hyūga leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Beside him, William lay propped up on the examination bed. There were remnants of the medical staff's earlier treatments around his limbs.
Jada and Iruka hovered nearby, offering a reassuring presence, while Lee could barely keep his energy contained.
As the door swung open, the medical staff entered, clipboard in hand.
"William?" the nurse announced with a nod, smiling as she glanced around at the gathering. "You're clear to leave."
William couldn't help but grin widely.
"Thanks," he replied, quietly stuffing his emotions away. "I appreciate it! Just in time for us to head back!"
"I knew you'd be alright," Jada announced. "You're strong, Will, and bold for making it so far in the tournament. You really showed everyone what you're capable of."
"I—I did my best," William said, faltering a little. He still seemed both embarrassed and disappointed behind his smile. "But honestly, I should have tried harder if I had known how strong Hoshikaze was."
Neji, observant, knew that William wasn't quite the same. He opted to keep quiet for now, not wanting to push William any further when he wasn't ready to talk.
"Now's a great time to ask," Lee finally inquired. "How was it fighting Hoshikaze?"
William shifted uncomfortably, wishing he didn't have to relive the memories of the fight.
"It was… different than any ninja I've ever fought before," he confessed. "Forget about how durable he was or how I tried to take him out with my clones—it's how untouchable he was."
"Untouchable?" Neji repeated with curious eyes.
William nodded as he attempted to articulate the feeling before answering, "It was like he was several steps ahead of me. Or like… he was living in a different time than I was, if that makes sense."
Jada leaned in, intrigued, and asked, "In what way?"
"I guess I'm not doing a good job at explaining things," he said, trying to piece together his thoughts. "Hoshikaze—he played with my mind during the whole thing. It felt like he was two moves ahead, like... he had a plan in mind, while I was just reacting to how he wanted the fight to go. I felt like I was in a psychological battle where I was constantly scrambling to catch up."
Lee perked up and asked, "Was it like that time you lost to Sasuke in the Chūnin Exams?"
That comment was enough to make William fall back. No one had forgotten what the Uchiha did to him after his own failed attempts against the Sharingan.
"No, it's not like that," William quickly corrected. "This was different. With Sasuke, I could at least read his moves; I had an idea of what he might do, even with his Sharingan. But Hoshikaze? It was like facing a brick wall or something. There were moments where I thought I had him, but then he'd just... disappear. Like I wasn't even in the game."
"You mean like fighting a ghost?" Iruka wondered.
Neji straightened and flatly said, "He was strategizing."
"Exactly," William said before understanding something. "Well, no… I don't mean to give him any credit or anything, but I'm being serious when I say it was like he had planned things from the start. If someone like him had the Sharingan, he'd be more dangerous than…" He paused, knowing he shouldn't utter the character's name. "You-know-who."
"You-know-who?" Iruka wondered. "Who's that?"
William shrugged, not really wanting to delve deeper. So he said, "Best not to ask. All I'm saying is I'm glad he's not a villain."
Only Jada understood the implied reference. You-know-who was Madara Uchiha. She kept her eyes fixed on William, pragmatic enough to know that mentioning it would only cause the others to get concerned.
She had already approached Hoshikaze after the fight, asking him to become her teacher—a conversation that couldn't afford to be compromised by something like fear or doubt.
Then William elaborated further, "It's kind of like playing chess. And don't get me wrong, I know how to play chess. Only, instead of playing regular chess, it felt like Hoshikaze was playing 3D chess while I wasn't."
"What is exactly is chess?," Neji mused.
"Oh! Ugh! It's—"
"It's like shogi," Jada answered for William. "Chess requires foresight and an understanding of your opponent's strategy."
"It that's true, Neji continued, "then what Will's saying is that Hoshikaze was manipulating the entire match."
"Right," William agreed, nodding slowly. "I let the crowd rile me up, but I think that's exactly what Hoshikaze wanted. At the last second, he almost broke my will to fight."
As scary as that thought was, Iruka interjected, "That's what some might call 'strategic foresight'—the ability to read the opponent while staying several steps ahead of them."
Lee chimed in with glee and said, "Guy-sensei taught Neji and me those same principles! It's all about applying what you know when your opponent has succeeded in cornering you into a position where you cannot win. If you can't see their moves, you're already a step behind."
"I fell into his trap the moment he stepped on the stage," William admitted. "If I hadn't played his game and just done my own thing, like if I had activated Toad Sage Mode from the get-go… maybe my chances of winning would have been better."
Jada, sensing William's disheartened state, stepped forward.
"Will, it's okay that you lost," she comforted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You learned a pretty big lesson, and that is what's important. There's always room for improvement. You'll try harder next time."
A flush streaked across William's cheeks.
"That is right!" Lee suddenly hollered. "I, too, wish to try harder with hopes of one day fighting this Hoshikaze myself!"
"Thanks, Jada," William said in a soft and genuine tone. "I guess it's about time I start training again and think of what to do next."
Iruka smiled approvingly at his student. William glanced at his friends gathered around him. Their presence served as an anchor.
Back at the battlefield.
As the dust settled around, Alice stood resolute. Shino himself had been trying to bring down Arthur but found that it was much more difficult than he had expected.
Sakura, who had unsuccessfully been trying to free Chōji, felt anxious. That was because her team had left her behind. Shino fell back, allowing the group to reassess things.
"Alice!" Sakura demanded. "Why aren't we going after them? We can't just let Naruto chase after Sasuke alone!"
Alice clenched her fists, not knowing how to respond. She understood Sakura's apprehension; the bond shared between Naruto and Sasuke was one everyone knew. But the situation was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.
Arthur stood nearby, strangely calm as he observed the two girls. Having taken in everything, he already understood why Alice had chosen to remain here.
There were two reasons. The first was quite obvious: Arthur was blocking their path. To reach Naruto and Sasuke, they would have to get past him first.
The part seemed simple enough. But as for the second reason, it was more nuanced.
They weren't dealing with just any Naruto. This version possessed the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode transformation. If he was truly after Sasuke, he would have the power to destroy him, even with Sasuke's second-level curse mark.
Alice knew that better than Sakura. As long as Naruto was in the right state of mind, it would be okay, so she thought.
Alice inhaled sharply at that revelation. Indeed, she had followed the story closely, and there was no contesting the strength of Naruto in this state. To throw herself into the fight now, to abandon his aid in favour of taking Arthur down, was to play a game with serious stakes.
"What we need to do first is take you down," Alice concluded, pointing at Arthur.
There was a flaw in her plan. She put her faith in Naruto, and in doing so, she made a grave mistake.
With an air of nonchalance, Arthur said, "Come and try…"
Those words sent a chill down Alice's spine.
Chōji struggled against the chains still binding him. Despite Sakura's best efforts to free him, her futile attempts only amplified the urgency of their situation.
"What's with these chains?" Sakura pondered. "I can't break them."
"Just let them be for now," Alice deduced, sensing their properties. "They're made of chakra."
Of course, she failed to pinpoint their origin since she had never seen Shippuden, where they were first introduced—just as Arthur expected.
While surely a formidable player, Alice had ultimately never delved into their stories as much as the others. What she knew after part one was only what the others told her.
And even if she knew what they were, Arthur had plenty of techniques in his arsenal that would not just keep his identity safe but also give these Leaf ninjas a very hard time.
Alice felt a burning sensation rise. She quickly calmed herself so as not to let emotions cloud her next move. Rather than ask questions, she finally looked at Sakura and nodded her head, signaling something.
Sakura stood up, her fists clenched. Before Arthur knew it, Shino ran toward Chōji while Sakura ran toward him. Arthur met her in the middle, and they clashed in a quick taijutsu battle.
After just one exchange, he sent her sprawling to the ground. She recovered seamlessly, rolling back into a poised stance.
'Interesting,' he noted with an emotionless gaze.
As she launched herself into a jump kick, he moved, feeling the air rush past him before delivering a kick that sent her spiraling backward. The moment she landed, he was already coming down on her with his knee.
The ground trembled beneath the force of his arrival as he crashed through the earth. He had missed.
Around him, Chōji grunted against the chains binding him while Shino worked desperately to set his comrade free.
Arthur's attention turned to Alice, who stood still, eyes closed in concentration.
'She's using that…'
That was the reason Arthur disliked fighting players—they had techniques that far outweighed those of regular characters.
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